07-06-2008
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#24 (permalink)
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| SLK World Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Victoria, BC
Vehicle: 2005 SLK 350 - Caspian blue, every option
Posts: 4
Country:  Thanks: 0
Thanked 4 Times in 1 Post
|  Importing an SLK from the US to Canada
Quote:
Originally Posted by MS011 
Hi all,
did anybody here import SLK 350, 2005-2007, from US to Canada? If you did what modifications did you have to do to the car and how much did it cost? Thanks in advance. | I imported my 05 SLK from the US in 06. It was a nuisance doing the research and finding my way through the paperwork, but it did permit me to locate a vehicle with the features I was looking for and ultimately saved some money. At the time, RIV (the company the government contracts to handle vehicle imports) left final importing approval on the SLK up to the discretion of MB Canada. This meant that MB Canada got to decide what was required and that they had the say-so on whether it would pass. Of course, they required all work to be done by MB. The process was setup so that the local dealer queries MB Canada with the VIN to get a list of everything required to change. I challenged the guy at MB Canada on a couple of items but basically you only have two choices: pay, or return the vehicle to the US. There is no other way to get approvals other than by a letter from MB Canada saying you are compliant. I found my invoice from June 06 and noted the following: ·Update front bumper to Canadian standard: oLabour $ 262.38 oEnergy absorbing block $ 75 oEnergy absorbing block $ 116 oEnergy absorbing block $ 116 oStrut $328 oStrut $328 ·Update Instrument Cluster to Canadian standard oLabour $136.44 oInstrument cluster $1114 ·Update vehicle with daytime running lights oCovered under above item $ 0 ·Update computer for Canadian standard oUpdate control unit with DAS $31.49 ·Update kilometre setting for Canadian standard oInstall mileage into cluster $31.49 ·Update rear bumper to Canadian standards oLabour $ 209.90 oEnergy absorbing block $ 121 oEnergy absorbing block $ 95 oEnergy absorbing block $ 95 oRivet $1.31 ·Misc. Supplies, recycling, waste remove oAnother $35 The summary shows a total of $671.70 in labour, $2387.31 in parts, and $35 misc. They charged GST and PST taxes of $216.58 each, bringing the grand total to $3527.17. Knowing how long the work really took and what was really changed, my impression is that MB Canada recovered a good amount of the profit they didn’t make in selling me the car in the first place. That said, I knew it up front and chose to proceed anyway. My local service center did not stock all required parts so I also had a 3 week wait for parts from Germany. If you are still considering importing and doing the modifications, you should be prepared for the occasional annoyance with warranty services. The local dealer has given me a hassle on a couple of occasions saying that MB Canada and MB US have slightly different rules. I now confirm warranty coverage before approving any work I expect is covered. You may find that the rules have changed since I imported, but I doubt they have made things easier or less expensive. I hope you can benefit from the above. |
 
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